I want to go on birth control pills, but I don’t want my parents to know that I am sexually active. I am under my parent’s insurance, and I don’t know if birth control is covered or not. How do I go about going on the pill without my parent’s knowledge, while getting the cheapest price? ? Seeking Birth Control in Burton
You have the right to share information concerning your body at your own discretion. While some parents are liberal about these matters (you know, the ones that toss in a few Trojans in the Halloween care package), others are not. You know your parents best.
As far as health insurance goes, most companies will cover Viagra, but not birth control pills. Seems silly, huh? But you still may want to peruse your parent’s plan, in case you can acquire them for next to nothing. Go to the insurance company’s web site and investigate what kind of coverage there is for contraceptives.
Whether or not there is coverage, you may want to take the semi-divulging route with your parents. As you may know from all of the Ortho Tri-cyclen commercials with women frolicking around in meadows and such, there are other benefits to going on birth control pills. These include predictability of periods, alleviation from intense cramps and healthier skin. Explaining up front that you would like these benefits can provide a cover for what you are actually using it for. This way your parents will know that you are taking them and will outright condone it. You won’t have to skulk around with your pink case when you go home.
If the above solution does not sound conducive to your specific circumstances, there is always the independent route. University Health Service provides contraceptives for around 10 dollars per month, and you can choose to have them charged to your term bill.
If you decide to have them tacked on to your bill, it will only show up as a charge for medication. It will not include the name or description of the exact prescription. However, your parents will probably question you, I would think. To avoid the fear of them finding out, I would fork over the dough myself.
P.S. Remember that birth control pills do not safeguard against STDs, and since 1 in 4 college students have one ? whether they know it or not ?, you should find out the sexual history of your partner and/or pick up some condoms from a vending machine around campus. They are fifty cents each.
That’s less than a Diet Coke and a lot more exciting. ? Joan
If you have any love and relationship questions that are literally, ummm ? burning, they can be sent to the love goddess herself, Joan Knihnicki. She can be reached at love@campustimes.org.
